


#GaveCtheC

by welovewebseries (unacaritafeliz)



Series: To 2018, Love from 2016 [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, This is part of the 2018 series BUT you don't need to read into the attic first, all you need to know from that is that Dex and Nursey get together, but it ran away a bit, loving on chowder, this was originally just supposed to be Rans and Holtz talking to C
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 22:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10796085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacaritafeliz/pseuds/welovewebseries
Summary: "Chowder?" asks a voice.Chowder pulls his head out of his hands and forces a smile on his face as he turns to the window. He's greeted by the sight of his huge captains (ex-captains, he reminds himself) hauling themselves through the window. He'd been careless in his escape; so busy making sure Nursey and Dex and Bitty were distracted, he hadn't even thought to check whether anyone else was watching him.[Chowder is voted Captain of the SMH for 2016-17. He has a lot of doubts, but he also has a lot of really good bros].A/N 6/8/2017: this was not written in response to the official canon about the Captain for Bitty's senior year. I'm not that bitter y'all.





	#GaveCtheC

Nursey and Dex are completely useless. 

Chowder has always known his two best friends were useless, always too busy chirping and flirting with each other to ever properly get anything done, but this time their uselessness has reached new levels. This is the one time Chowder actually needs them to focus only on each other and Nursey and Dex are content to stand on either side of him, quietly sipping their beers and listening to the chatter of the room.

Chowder's phone vibrates in his pocket but he ignores it, glancing around the room trying to look for something to draw their attention away from him. He really needs to get out of the room, to get some air into his lungs and try to wrap his head around what happened, but he doesn't want anyone to know he's missing. Bitty's perfectly distracted by the celebratory pies he's making, so all Chowder has to do is distract his two best friends and he'll be free.

"So," says Chowder, slowly, "I was reading an article about the pros and cons of doing an Arts degree versus a STEM degree."

"Both are chill," responds Nursey. "It depends on the person who wants to study them. Right, Dexy?"

Nursey wiggles his eyebrows at his new boyfriend. Dex sighs and rolls his eyes, but he's smiling. He looks at Nursey and the look on his face can only really be described as (somewhat exasperatedly) fond.

"Right," Dex agrees. "It's not really something black and white enough to write an article about."

Chowder frowns. He's been caught in the middle of their English vs. Computer Science debates more times than he can count, but this time they decide not to argue? Getting together has changed them; what happened to the Nursey and Dex that lived to rile each other up, who made arguments they didn't necessarily even believe just so they could argue?

"I also read an article about the use of hashtags," Chowder says.

This time, Dex snorts and Nursey laughs. Chowder smiles. He's got them.

"Hey, hashtags are #cool, babe," Nursey interjects, taking a step closer to Dex.

"You're #stupid, Nursey," says Dex, folding his arms across his arms. He's still smiling.

"You #love it, Poindexter!" says Nursey.

The looks on their faces can only mean one thing; their worlds have currently narrowed down to each other. He glances over to Bitty to check that he's still distracted with the pies. He's working on the lattice, deep in conversation with Lardo and Ford, and Chowder takes the opportunity to go.

"I'm just going to the bathroom," he says. He doesn't need to say it. No one is paying attention to him at this point anyway.

Chowder slips from the kitchen, closing the door behind him and blocking out the noise of the team. He leans his forehead against the door and exhales, before turning to walk up the stairs and out to the Reading Room. He sits down with his back against the wall, burying his face in his hands. It's been two hours since the team banquet, and he still can't understand what happened, still can't believe Ransom and Holster had stood at the front of the room and announced that Christopher "Chowder" Chow had been voted Captain of the Samwell Men's Hockey team for the '16-'17 season.

He'd sat there frozen in shock. He had heard the words, and understood them on some level, but he couldn't reconcile them in his brain into anything that made sense. Eventually, Nursey and Dex had simultaneously nudged him under the table and he'd walked to the front of the room and made some speech about being honoured for the opportunity or something. He honestly wasn't even sure what he had said; he had been too busy internally freaking the fuck out.

His phone vibrates again, but he still doesn't check it. He digs his palms into his eyes, willing this all to be some bizarre dream.

"Chowder?" asks a voice.

Chowder pulls his head out of his hands and forces a smile on his face as he turns to the window. He's greeted by the sight of his huge captains (ex-captains, he reminds himself) hauling themselves through the window. He'd been careless in his escape; so busy making sure Nursey and Dex and Bitty were distracted, he hadn't even thought to check whether anyone else was watching him.

"Hello, Rans!" Chowder says, hoping his voice contains at least some of the brightness the team has come to expect from him. "Hi, Holster!"

"You okay, bro?" asks Ransom, sitting on his left as Holster sits on his right. "You've been kind of quiet since the banquet."

"I'm fine," says Chowder. His voice is airy and breathless and he knows that even Ransom and Holster, in their perpetual obliviousness, must be able to see through him.

"Chowder?" asks Holster. "What's wrong?"

Holster's usually booming voice is soft and quiet. It's the kind of voice he uses when Ransom has test anxiety, or when Bitty is stress-baking enough pie to feed the entire campus, or in the quiet, tense locker room after the team has a particularly devastating loss. It breaks Chowder open. He lets the smile fall from his face and sighs softly, moving his head to stare at the LAX house across the road. He doesn't want to see the pitying look on either of his captains (ex-captains) faces right now.

"I... can't do it," Chowder says. "I can't be Captain. I'm not... I'm not like Jack, or you guys. I'm not... I can't lead the team. I... I just can't."

It's almost funny; he's trying to explain why he isn't good enough and even his explanation doesn't feel good enough. Chowder's not used to this feeling of self doubt and he's struggling to understand it, let alone express it in words. All he knows the weight on his chest is threatening to crush him.

"I'm still so surprised you boys thought Holtzy and I would make good Captains," says Ransom, softly. "I mean, I'm still half convinced people voted for one of us because they were so against the idea of the other being captain."

"That's not true," says Chowder, the words rushing to tumble from his lips. "You're both great Captains."

"That's the point, Chowder," says Ransom, gently nudging him. "You may not feel like you will make a good Captain but that doesn't mean you won't be one."

"Pretty sure Jack was surprised both times we elected him Captain," adds Holster. "I mean, the guy wears an A for the Provide Falconers and he didn't think he was good enough to captain his college hockey team?"

"Well, we are probably harder to control than the Falconers," says Ransom. "No way they're as big of a mess as us."

Chowder smiles and bites his lip. Holster reaches out to rest his hand on Chowder's leg, his large hand splaying out across most of Chowder's thigh. It's warm and comforting, but still not enough. He sighs.

"Chowder, the vote was unanimous," says Ransom, softly. "The only person who thinks you can't do this is you."

"There has to be a mistake," says Chowder. "Look, I know how the team see me. I know I'm just the California sunshine puppy-dog child who needs to be protected or whatever. I know I'm just sweet, innocent baby Chowder. I... There's no way this team could've voted for me as Captain."

Ransom and Holster don't respond. He keeps his eyes trained on the LAX House, but Chowder can feel the wordless conversation they are having over his head. Knowing that they're talking about him is uncomfortable and Chowder wants to wrap his arms around himself and make himself as small as possible, but Holster's hand is still on his leg, keeping him grounded.

"Bro," says Ransom softly, reaching out to wrap his fingers gently around Chowder's arm. Chowder turns to look at him. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know... I didn't realise we treated you like that. Chowder, Chris, you're so much more than that to us. You've always been so much more than that."

"You are made of sunshine, Chowder," says Holster, and Chowder turns his head to look at him. "But that doesn't make you small, or weak. This team loves you and respects you."

"You're smart, and focused, and determined," continues Ransom. "And you're a fucking monster between the pipes."

"Even I'm scared of you on the ice, bro," Holster adds.

Chowder tries to laugh but it comes out slightly like a sob. It's such a relief to hear his Captains (ex-captains) say such nice things about him; such a relief to know that the team sees him as something more than a child.

"I've got a fucktonne of spreadsheets to help you, bro," says Ransom, nudging him gently. "And Jack and Holtzy and I are only ever a phone call away. And Bitty, and Ollie and Wicky, and Nursey and Dex... they're all going to stand behind you."

"Well, behind you metaphorically," Holster clarifies. "You'll be in the goal so technically none of them will be standing behind you, but metaphorically they'll be behind you. As they've always been."

"And you really don't think one of them will be better?" Chowder asks. "Bitty and Ollie and Wicks are seniors so..."

"Chowder," says Ransom, seriously, "You are the undisputed best choice for Captain."

"We can't force you to wear the C," says Holster. "You can turn it down and the team can go back to vote for someone else. But you can do this, bro. Don't turn it down just because you think you can't."

Chowder looks from Holster to Ransom, taking in the earnest looks on their faces. He's still not sure, but the trust they have in him inspires confidence in himself. He takes a deep breath in, and exhales slowly.

"Okay," he says. "I'll try."

"Fuck yes!" Ransom and Holster yell simultaneously.

His ex-Captains suddenly throw their arms around him, crushing him with their bodies. Chowder can't stop the huge grin that splits across his face. He can't hug them back from this position, but he reaches up to wrap his hands around their arms. He's going to miss them so much.

"Come on, let's go back down," says Holster, pulling back and standing up. "There's a whole case of Natty light with your name on it, Chow."

Holster turns to climb through the window, and Ransom turns to face him, placing his hand against Chowder's right bicep.

"I'm proud of you, bro," he says.

"Thank you, Rans," says Chowder with a smile. "For everything."

As he watches Ransom climb back through the window, Chowder's phone starts vibrating again. He slides the phone out of his pocket and sees Farmer's smiling face lighting up his screen so he answers.

"Hey babe," he says.

"C!" Farmer responds. "I've been trying to call you for hours! What happened at the team banquet?"

"They, uh..." starts Chowder. He takes a deep breath before continuing, "They made me Captain."

"Oh my god, congratulations, babe!" Farmer shrieks. "To be honest, I was kind of expecting it, but it's still so nice that you actually got it! You're going to be amazing!"

Chowder can't help but laugh, covering a face with his hand as he blushes. Farmer was expecting him to become captain! She believed so much in him! He's almost overwhelmed by how much love he's been getting lately.

"Thanks, Farms," he says.

"Well I'll let you get back to celebrating with the boys," Farmer says. "But I just wanted to check that we're still on for tonight, right?"

Chowder gulps, but doesn't admit he's not currently celebrating with the boys, doesn't admit that Ransom and Holster had to spend the better part of the last half hour trying to convince him to be Captain. He can tell her later.

"Of course," says Chowder. "I'll pick you up around eight okay?"

"Okay!" Farmer says. "I love you."

"I love you too," Chowder says.

He pockets his phone and climbs through the window, down the stairs and back into the kitchen to meet his team.

"Hey, Chow, what happened to you?" asks Dex, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "You were gone for ages."

"Yeah, we missed you, C," adds Nursey, wrapping his arms around Chowder's waist. "Don't leave us again, Captain."

Chowder looks at Ransom and Holster across the room. He locks eyes with Ransom first, and then Holster, grinning at them both.

He's so got this.


End file.
